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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 6 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1880 | 2 |
17 stories matching intent
- The Price of Building Seattle
An 1876 notice reveals the commodification of local clay as Seattle's rapid expansion begins to reshape the landscape.
- The Seattle Brick Yard Hustle of 1876
As Seattle began its transformation into a permanent industrial center, local entrepreneurs rushed to secure supplies for the inevitable building boom.
- The Coal Road That Built Seattle
A historic rail link between Seattle and the Newcastle mines is sold to transportation mogul Henry Villard, signaling a new era of consolidation for the city's coal trade.
- The Battle Against 'Charivari' Noise
When the city council of Vancouver, Washington, decided that raucous wedding serenades were 'disgraceful' to the public order, they took a stand against the tradition of the charivari.
- The Boomtown Hustle: Real Estate and Building in 1876 Seattle
A glimpse into the rapid expansion of Seattle's early infrastructure, where new homes were built 'by the day' and brick yards were leased to meet the hunger for growth.
- The Persistent Pest in the Parlor
A classic 1878 dispatch on the 'improved' book agent who swears he never bothers anyone—right before being forcibly ejected into the street.
- A Penny Dreadful for the Pioneer
A Seattle editor reviews a piece of pulp fiction, warning that if the author keeps killing off the population at this rate, there will be nobody left to read the story.
- A Wedding on the Skagit Flats
A frontier celebration in the late 1870s brings together four river communities for a night of dancing and revelry.
- The Man Who Vanished Into the Brush: A Seattle Mystery
In September 1876, a resident named Wm. Harris left his home for a brief trip to Seattle and never returned. His wife’s desperate search led investigators to suspect either a fatal heart attack or foul play in the dense woods near Snyder's slaughterhouse.
- The Hanging Sentence of John Thompson
A condemned man stands in a crowded Seattle courtroom, maintaining his innocence while awaiting the gallows for a fatal brawl in Renton.
- The Day Newcastle Went Mad: A Woman’s War on Clerks and Clubs
In April 1877, a frustrated businesswoman in Newcastle, Washington Territory, escalated a shipping dispute into a violent rampage involving a club and a six-shooter, forcing local men to intervene.
- The Farmers’ Fight to Clear the Skagit River
When the government refused to fund the removal of dangerous log jams, local settlers and merchants took the job into their own hands, relying on community donations rather than official aid.
- The Stranger at the Clarendon Hotel
A young man arrives in Seattle, keeps to himself, and ends his life in a locked hotel room, leaving behind only a name that may not be his own.
- The Last Laugh of 'Old Si': A Black Veteran's Take on War and Wages in Pioneer Seattle
In a rare moment of candid journalism from 1877, the *Daily Intelligencer* sits down with 'Old Si,' a local African American man who served as a Union soldier. His unvarnished take on racial loyalty, wages, and the upcoming Centennial Exposition reveals the complex social fabric of early Seattle.
- The Race for the Rails: Seattle’s Fight to Keep the Northern Pacific Branch
As Oregon competitors maneuver to steal federal land grants, a local correspondent warns that losing the railroad connection could leave Washington Territory behind for decades.
- The Land Grab That Built Tacoma: How the Northern Pacific Railroad Stole Millions of Acres
A furious editorial in the Seattle Star exposes the Northern Pacific Railroad’s scheme to misappropriate public lands for a private coal line, arguing that the company is using legal loopholes to steal from settlers in King and Snohomish counties.
- The Moss-Cloaked Giants of Bay Center
A teacher’s letter from the Pacific Northwest frontier describes a landscape of colossal trees and lush undergrowth, challenging the myth of the harsh pioneer struggle.